Express Yourself

If you’re a salon owner growing your business, you’re offering every guest who walks through your doors an add-on service. Your stylists know that regularly recommending add-on services will increase their own paychecks, and your guests love the benefits they’re receiving beyond a great cut and color. 

Keratin Complex has long been known for its effective, quick add-on treatments, with seven different treatments for every type of hair fabric to achieve every result. 

The Keratin Complex Express Service Menu features seven fast services and five products. All express services take 15 minutes or less and can be added to any salon service—maximizing time for both the client and the stylist. Clients will also enjoy all the benefits of keratin, and stylists will love the profit boost to their tickets.  

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One of clients’ favorite treatments in the lineup is the KCEXPRESS, which goes beyond repairing and conditioning and was designed to last up to six weeks, helping eliminate frizz and lock in color when used after any color service.

Stylists can use KCEXPRESS in two ways: as a stand-alone, one-hour service or as a 15-minute color-locking service. Both services deliver frizz-free hair up to six weeks. 

For Detlev Gessner, owner of Detlev Lifestyle Salon in Coconut Grove, Florida, KCEXPRESS is the perfect solution to constant humidity.

“We live in Miami, so humidity is present every day,” he says. “KCEXPRESS is quick and easy, and many guests are already there for a color service anyway.”

Gessner adds, “Guests love the shine and it seals in their color. Plus, they don’t have to worry about their hair blowing up in the humidity after the service.” 

“KCEXPRESS also cuts drying time down and makes curls more defined,” says Mindy Ali, stylist at The Salon at Ulta Beauty in Chicago. “Most clients are looking for more manageable hair and this is a game changer for them–they spend a lot less time and effort on their hair.” 

The Proof is in the Profit

But first, Ali has to educate her clients on the service. 

“During consultation, I ask them about issues they have with their hair, leading the conversation to where I can see what I can offer as an add on,” she says.

At The Salon at Ulta Beauty, the KCEXPRESS is $50 for an add-on to color and $115 for a standalone treatment or add-on to a cut. It only takes a few extra minutes, and Ali has been averaging around five KCEXPRESS treatments per week.

“That translates to an extra $12,500 annually without adding extra time to the service,” she says. “And the guests also take home the recommended product regimen.” 

As an elite Ulta stylist, Ali is always focused on hitting numbers and making new goals. 

“This treatment has helped me make my numbers for the year,” she says. “Other than deep conditioning, there wasn’t much I could add on at my price point and timing. The KCEXPRESS has been a game changer.”

Ariel Hitchens is a textured hair specialist and lead stylist at Kenneth’s Salons & Day Spas in Columbus, Ohio. 

Hitchens’ haircuts are $69 and the salon charges $105 for the KCEXPRESS add-on. 

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“When I offer the Keratin Express, it more than doubles my hair cut service ticket,” she says. “And once a client gets the KCEXPRESS, you see them at least one or two more times per year for it. They’re also more likely to buy products, prebook, and generally help your long-term income.” 

Hitchens has also had tremendous success with Keratin Complex’s Vitalshot Bond Rebuilder add-on treatment. 

“It’s quickly become one of my favorites,” she says. “It’s a bond rebuilder that helps color clients keep their hair as healthy as possible, making color more vivid and shiny.” 

On average, Hitchens sees up to 14 guests, with about half upgrading with an add-on service.

“Last year, I was working only three days a week and almost made six figures.” 

Victoria Taylor, director of Red Market Salon in Miami, says her salon performs an average of 30-35 KCEXPRESS stand-alone, one-hour treatments per month, and offers the full Express Service Menu, including the Red Carpet Blow Dry service, which adds Keratin Complex’s two hero products: Infusion and Intense RX to a blow dry, mimicking the results of a treatment with a smooth, red-carpet finish. 

“At Red Market, our colorists do color, and our stylists do treatments,” says Taylor. “When I learned about the simplicity of the 15-minute color locking option with KCEXPRESS, we set up training for the entire salon team to learn how to do it—including colorists.”

She adds, “This one add-on treatment can have a huge impact on our bottom line—we’re anticipating a conservative estimate of 65 percent of color clients will opt for KCEXPRESS, priced at $75. With that estimate alone, the salon will see a minimum six-figure growth increase for the year.” 

Taylor anticipates KCEXPRESS will resonate with Red Market’s clientele as it provides them with a quick way to get keratin results without having to spend a prolonged time in the salon. 

“Many of our guests are scheduling their appointments in advance, particularly for their six-week color touch up,” Taylor says. “So integrating this add-on into their existing appointments streamlines the salon experience.”

She adds, “The bottle of shampoo plus bottle of KCEXPRESS formula costs us $380 and yields at minimum 33 treatments. We charge our guests $150 per standalone treatment, so we start making profit after a couple of treatments.”

And in the humid Florida climate, Red Market guests are also purchasing the Keratin Obsessed Spray to enhance the treatment after they’ve left the salon. At $28 per bottle, this has boosted Red Market’s retail bottom line.

“We live in Miami, and the elements are harsh on hair,” Taylor says. “Almost everyone who walks in our salon needs a treatment to help repair damage and fight frizz.”

Build Guest Loyalty

Clients are crazy for KCEXPRESS, and with good reason. It only adds up to 15 minutes to their appointment at a reasonable price. 

“We do have to set expectations,” says Taylor. “This is not a chemical treatment to straighten hair, it is not meant to straighten.”

But the elimination of frizz and the added manageability of their hair is enough to keep many guests coming back every six to eight weeks for another treatment.

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“Some of my guests who don’t heat style have even longer results,” says Ali. “And it’s so easy. I wash the hair with pre-treatment shampoo, put the treatment in, blow dry and flatiron.”

Kenneth’s clients also love the benefits of KCEXPRESS. 

“I have one client with natural wave to her hair who says she feels like she no longer needs to use her flatiron,” says Hitchens. “Just a quick blowout gives her the results she wants after getting the KCEXPRESS treatment.” 

Ali says some of her clients mix and match the KCEXPRESS treatment with other Keratin Complex Treatment services for different results at different times of the year.

“Some like the full Keratin treatment more in summer or if they’re going on vacation,” she says. “Then they use KCEXPRESS during other parts of the year. And some guests use the KCEXPRESS in between full Keratin treatments to hold them over for a bit longer.” 

In addition to the KCEXPRESS, Keratin Complex offers a menu of add-on services including color locking and reparative treatments. 

At Kenneth’s, Hitchens offers express add-ons with the Vitalshot Bond Rebuilder, which offers four unique salon services, for $39. Clients can choose from Reparative Remedy, Radiant Color, Brightest Blonde or Masque Maximizer services.

When Vitalshot is customized to a guest and added to their color or lightener services, there is no change to processing time or formulation. The stylist simply adds one to two pumps of Vitalshot directly into the color or lightener  formula and it helps repair and rebuild hair bonds. 

Keratin Complex recommends an add-on price of $25 for Vitalshot, which gives a concentrated dose of its Signature Keratin. 

“We’re helping our guests achieve their hair goals,” Hitchens says. “They are looking for our advice and professional recommendation, which includes treatments, at-home hair care and how often they should come see you.” 

She adds, “Even if they say no, you’ve planted a seed. They’ll be thinking about it and ask for it the next time.”

Want to start boosting your salon's bottom line with KCEXPRESS? Learn more here.